Hello Starling named headline sponsor for inaugural WomenIn Wales Awards

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Hello Starling has been confirmed as the headline sponsor for the first ever WomenIn Wales Awards 2026, which will take place on March 6th at the Marriott Hotel in Cardiff.

Nominations are open now. Categories include Green Champion, Businesswoman of the Year, Team of the Year, Influencer of the Year and Young Businesswoman of the Year.

The media planning and buying agency, which works with brands to deliver data-led campaigns focused on measurable results, will support the inaugural event championing nominees across business and sport.

James Robinson, Managing Director of Hello Starling, said: “It’s great that we can be involved from the very beginning, and we can help champion all of the nominees along the way right through to the winners at the very end.”

According to Robinson, the business has long had a strong connection to supporting women in the workplace, something that made the WomenIn Wales Awards a natural fit.

He said: “There is a void around celebrating women, particularly in Wales. Women have a lot more challenges, whether that’s in the workplace, starting a business or just in general life.

“Over the years we’ve probably employed way more women than we’ve employed men. I remember at one point there were 15 of us in total and 13 of them were women. We need to celebrate women.”

The inaugural WomenIn Wales Awards aim to bring together women from business, sport and wider society, recognising achievements across multiple sectors and showcasing role models from across the nation.

For Hello Starling, the awards represent an opportunity to elevate stories that might otherwise go unheard and to showcase Welsh talent on a national stage.

“We’re really happy to be involved because this is an opportunity to put a spotlight on women from all sectors across Wales and really showcase them and show the world what they can do,” Robinson added.

“I think we need to lift women up. We need to be their allies, if you like. And we need to call out things that we see are inappropriate. If somebody’s been overlooked for a promotion, for example, we need to call that out,” he said.

He added that equal support and recognition should extend across all areas, including sport.

“When there is a female sports personality that is representing our country, we need to back them just as much as we would back their male counterpart,” he said.

Asked about female role models who have inspired him during his career, Robinson pointed to Welsh entrepreneur Hayley Parsons, founder of price comparison site Go Compare.

Robinson said: “When I first met her, I remember sitting in her office on this really red sofa. I was just taken back by how passionate she was about building this price comparison site based in Newport.

“She’s a really down to earth lady, but she was fiercely driven to build something.

“Over the years she built it, she sold it, but her legacy lives on. And it’s now a household brand.”

Nominations open now